Undergraduate Writers on the Same Page at UH's Boldface Conference

Undergraduate writers from around the nation are bringing their stories, essays and poems to the University of Houston this week.

For the second year, the university is hosting Boldface, a conference dedicated to the talents of undergraduate writers. The event runs June 7 - 12 at UH.

During the conference, participants will attend workshop sessions led by graduate students in UH's noted Creative Writing Program (CWP). They also will attend master classes to engage in dialogues with professional writers.

"Boldface is an innovative conference that makes available to undergraduates and emerging writers the type of intense workshop education that is normally available only to graduate students and more advanced writers," said j. Kastely, director for the Creative Writing Program. "The conference offers an intense immersion into creative writing, and both workshop instructors and workshop participants have found the experience to be enormously helpful."

Student participants also will have the opportunity to showcase their works during readings that are open to the public. Readings will be delivered from 4 - 5 p.m., June 7 - 10 in UH's Rockwell Pavilion (second floor of M.D. Anderson Library).

The conference complements the university's ongoing efforts to develop undergraduate writers. Among these is the literary journal Glass Mountain, which is devoted to poetry and fiction written by undergraduates. Founded in 2006, the publication is edited by undergraduate students with support from faculty advisor Lynn Voskuil. For more details on Glass Mountain, visit www.uh.edu/glassmountain/index.html.

"Students leave the conference with a greater confidence in their writing and with a more focused understanding of how to sustain a life as a writer," Kastely said. "The conference offers the rare chance for students to engage in a community with others who share their passion for writing. Being part of such a community is essential for anyone who wants to be a writer."

As part of UH's English department, CWP offers poets, fiction writers and non-fiction writers intensive training in both creative writing and literary studies. It offers two graduate degrees: the Master of Fine Arts and Doctor of Philosophy. CWP's noted faculty includes award-winning authors and poets such as novelist Antonya Nelson, poet and non-fiction writer Nick Flynn, graphic novelist Mat Johnson and poet Tony Hoagland. To learn more about the program, visit www.class.uh.edu/cwp/.